Combined projectile and breech block for ordnance



May 6, 1930. N. E. METHLIN COMBINED PROJECTILE AND BREECH BLOCK FOR ORDNANQE Filed March 26. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5mm, 4, 1 Jazz;

N. E. METHLIN 1,757,675 COMBINED PROJECTILE AND BREECH BLOCK FOR ORDNANCE May 6, 1930;

Filed March 26, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1930- N. E. METHLIN 1,757,675

COMBINED PROJECTILE AND BREECH BLOCK FOR ORDNANCE Filed March 26, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 COMBINED PROJECTILE AND BREECH BLOCK FOR ORDNANCE Filed March 26. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 6, 1930. N. E. METHLIN COIBINED PROJECTILE AND BREECH BLOCK FOR ORDNANCE Filed larch 26. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 tile, this chamber being closed guns,

Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN,

OF PARIS, FRANCE,

COMBINED PROJECTILE AND BREE-CH BLOCK FOR OBDNANCE Application filed March 26, 1928, Serial No. 284,769, and in France April 14, 1927.

The object of the present invention is to provide a particular mode of construction of the movable breech block or of the fixed obturator of a piece of ordnance and of the pro- 'ectile which is to be fired with the latter.

It has already been proposed, in particular for trench mortars or other short range to provide the projectile with a rear extension suitably guided in a diaphragm formed in front of the chamber partly occupied by the ejecting charge. In these known devices in which it was proposed to exert the action of the gases of'the charge upon only a small surface at the commencement of the movement of the projectile, the charge only occupied a very small part of the space in which combustion took place. As a consequence, the gases produced by the combustion, before acting upon the projectile, had to pass through an expansion chamber of large volume, and the action of the gases upon the small surface of the projectile was efiected with a very rapidly increasing vol ume, and consequently a very rapidly decreasing pressure.

It has also been proposed charge in a small chamber, the volume of which remains practically constant at the commencement'of the ejection of the projecby a diaphragm in which engages a central extension member projecting from the base of the projectile.

This last solution, which is by far the better from the point of view of the result to be obtained, presents however, the disadvantage of requiring the use of projectiles comprlsing an axialrearwardly extending memer of small diameter and diflicult to store and handle.

The invention removes the disadvantages of both the known systems described above.

The subject of the invention is a breech block or obturator and a projectile combined in such a way that the com ustion of the gases can take place practically in a closed space, the pressure of which gases can increase rapidly and preserve a high value for a suitable len h of time.

Accor 'ng to the invention the projectile to confine the and the obturator comprise, one a male part and the other a female part or vice versa, arranged so as to engage fairl accurately one in the other for firing, and t ese interengaging male and female parts are characterized by the feature that, when in the position of engagement, they bound a closed chamber in which is confined the ejecting charge.

The invention may advantageously be employed in combination with mortars or other like guns comprising 1n the neighbourhood of the chamber which contains the ejecting charge, one or more orifices, the section of which may be re lated if desired, for the escape of a part 0 the gases produced by the combustion of the charge.

Of the mutually engaging male and female parts which enclose, at the moment of firing, the closed chamber in which is contained the ejecting charge, one may be formed upon the base of the projectile and the other upon a solid and fixed obturator, in the case of muzzle loading guns. They may, in the case of breech loading guns, comprising a breech opened and closed by hand or automatically, be mounted one upon the base of the pro ectile and the other upon a movable head bearing upon a lastic or elastic obturator.

Various orms of construction of the 1nvention are illustrated by way of example 1n the accompanying drawing.

Figs. 1 and 2 show in longitudinal sectional elevation two different positions of a form of the invention applied to a muzzle loading mortar comprisinga discharge duct for the gases produced by the combustion of the charge. 7

Fig. 3 1s a plan section taken along the hue 3-3 in Fig. 1. r Fig. 4 shows in longitudinal sectional elevationanother embodiment of the inventlon.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 respectively illustrate further embodiments of the invention as applied to a breech loading gun having a movable breech block.

In these figures 1 to 3, inclusive, A is the barrel of the gun, closed at the rear end by a solid obturator B. O is the 1projectile.

In this first example, t e male part 1s formed by a central projection or boss D on the obturator B. At the centre of this boss may be formed a striker E. The striker may also be movable in an axial duct in the obturator and be adapted to be operated by hand or by any other known firing device.

The female part adapted to engage upon the male part D is formed in the base C of the rojectile. It may be formed by a sleeve 1 which will engage upon the part over a suitable portion f of its height, while it will define, with the base of the projectile, the chamber intended to contain the ejecting charge G. At the centre of a diaphragm F suitably erforated with holes 7, 18 secured a primer he firing mechanism may be so arranged that it will operate automatically when the projectile, loaded through the muzzle, is placed in position and at the moment when the enga ement of F upon D has been completely efiected.

will be seen in the drawing, the parts F and D form, by their combination with the boss of the projectile, a completely closed chamber, in which the ejecting charge is confined when the projectile is placed in position for firing.

Combustion, at the commencement of ejection, thus takes place in a practically closed chamber. The pressure, which develops ver rapidly, is wholly exerted upon the small ace of the boss D of the obturator and reaches a high indicated in Fig. 2. At this moment the gases will be free to expand around the completely disengaged boss D and escape in part through the orifice I. lent and complete combustion of the ejecting charge is secured and the obtained with certainty.

Fig. 4 shows in longitudinal sectional elevation an embodiment of the invention adapted for use, as in the preceding example, in a muzzle loading gun. In this case the female part F is formed upon a fixed obturator B and the striker E may move on, or be formed as a projection upon its inner end. The male part D is formed by a sleeve screwed into the base of the projectile O and containing the ejecting charge G. The charge containing chamber has arranged along its axis, a primer H for automatic or other firing when the engagement between the male and female parts is completed, and the cup or female part F formed in the obturator may comprise a fixed striker E products for jecting from its centre, or guiding h y and or a striker adapted to be operated by'any other suitable means.

As in the preceding example, combustion takes place on the back face of the charge G it takes place in a closed chamber, and

a pressure is exerted upon a small section of the obturator B.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show examples of the invention applied to a breech loading gun comprising an elastic or plastic obturator with a movable head, the breech block being alternately opened for the insertion of the projectile and closed for firing.

In t e example shown in Fig. 5 the female art is formed by a sleeve F screwed into the ase of the projectile C behind the chamber in the said base for the ejecting charge G. The male part D is formed on an axial head K bearing upon. an elastic obturator J and movable in a breech block B opened and closed b hand or automatically.

As in the prece ing examples, the proectile comprises no axially extending memer of small diameter projecting from its base; the engagement is obtained by simply sliding the base of the projectile over the movable head D of the breech block or by the engagement of concentric projections D and D on this head in corresponding lodgments in the sleeve F screwed into the base. In this last case, the central part D of small diameter alone receives, at the commencement, the direct action of the gases from the primer H passing through an axial duct in the movable head.

Fi 6 shows an embodiment in which the femaIe part F is formed by a recess in the movable head K of the breech block B. The male part D is formed by the base of the projectile itself, containing the charge G and closed by an end piece perforated with holes.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment in which the female part F is formed in the base of the projectile, the male part being formed by an annular projection D on the movable head, and forming with the latter a chamber for holding the charge G.

laims:

1. In combination, a gun, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said gun, cooperating telescoping means forming parts res ectively of the closed end of said gun an said cylindrical base portion, said means having a diameter substantially less than said cylindrical base portion and defining a closed combustion chamber, and a propelling charge in said chamber.

2. In combination, a gun, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base ortion fitting the bore of said gun, a recess ormed in the base of said projectile, means forming a part of the closed end of said gun and having telescoping engagement with the walls of said recess to define a combustion chamber, and a propelling charge in said chamber.

3. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel,

said projectile having a recess in its base, the central portion of the closed end of said gun barrel being shaped to have telescopic engagement with the Walls of said recess to define a combustion chamber having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of said base, and a propelling charge in said chamber.

4:. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel, cooperating telescoping means forming parts respectively of the closed end of said gun and of said cylindrical base portion, said means defining a combustion chamber having a diameter substantially less than the base of said projectile, and a propelling charge in said chamber, said gun barrel having an opening in its wall adjacent the combustion chamber for the escape of gasses of combustion.

5. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel, said projectile having a recess in its base, the closed end of said gun having a boss fitting Within said recess to define a closed combustion chamber, said barrel having an opening in its wall adjacent the combustion chamber for the escape of gases of combustion, and a propelling charge in said chamber.

6. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel,

said projectile having a recess in its base, a

, propelling charge in said recess, and means forming a part of the closed end of said gun barrel and having telescopic engagement with the Walls of said recess to define a combustion chamber, said gun having an opening in its wall adjacent the combustion chamber for the escape of gases of combustion.

7. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel, said projectile having a recess in its base, the central portion of the closed end of said gun barrel being shaped to have telescopic engagement with the Walls of said recess to define a combustion chamber having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of said base, and a propelling charge in said recess.

8. In combination, a gun barrel, a projectile therefor having a substantially cylindrical base portion fitting the bore of said barrel, said projectile having a recess in its base, a boss in the closed end of said gun barrel positioned centrally of the bore thereof and fitting Within said recess to define a closed combustion chamber having a diameter substantially less than said base, and a propelling charge in said chamber.

9. In combination, a gun having a breech block, a projectile for said gun, said projectile having a recess formed in its base, a pro- NICOLAS ,EMILIEN METHLIN. 

